


Symphonies of Snow

by Li_no



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff, Leo is soon to be king and he doesnt know what the fuck is going on, M/M, Magic, Neither do I tbh, Soulmates, a prequel basically, basically an izuleo fantasy AU, idk exactly where i want to take this fic but bear with me, izumi suffers, kingdom au, my first multichapter fic!!, this gonna be a series i think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-11-19 11:50:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18135377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Li_no/pseuds/Li_no
Summary: During the annual reunion of the four great kingdom's royal families, prince Leo meets Izumi for the first time.An Izuleo Fantasy AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello! welcome to my mess of an AU, I hope you'll have a good time here, bc i sure did writing it! izuleo own my entire heart and soul i had to write more for them~

_“What is this white thing?! It looks so cute, so fluffy! I kind of want to eat it!” The little prince beamed enthusiastically while pointing at the picture book, entranced by the uncommon visage. “Look! The trees are so weird too! It’s so cool!”_

_“Hm? Oh my,” His mother laughed slightly at the little prince’s happiness. “That’s called ‘snow’, my dear. We don’t have it around Aestas, since everything here is hot and snow is cold.”_

_He arched an eyebrow, confused. “I don’t fully understand… but I still want to eat it! Can I?”_

_The queen chuckled slightly, but her expression soon darkened. "You should stay away from anything ‘cold’, my child. It is not good for you, anything that comes from the kingdom of snow cannot be good.”_

_The prince’s confusion only grew, he couldn’t understand how something so beautiful could ever harm him. Despite his mother’s words, he was unable to kill his enchantment for that kingdom._

_She sighed. "One day you’ll get it, dear.” The queen got up from Leo’s bed, ready to leave the room. “Now, goodnight, my little prince! Sleep tight.” She kissed his forehead._

_With that unsatisfying answer, his mother left, refusing to say anything more._

_Leo frowned, he wouldn’t leave it at that._

_As soon as he made sure his mother was far enough, he sneaked out of his room and followed her. If he remembered correctly, she met up with his father every night after putting Leo to sleep, maybe, just maybe, they would talk about anything concerning that kingdom._

_Approaching their room, he could listen to his parents voices clearly._

_“Stop making such a fuss, he is still a child. His interest in that place will die soon enough,” His father’s voice was stern “When he is older, he’ll agree with us.”_

_“But…” His mother sounded unsure and melancholic, as if she was disappointed “I can’t help it, having my child singing praises toward that horrible nation makes me disgusted.”_

_Leo jumped, startled at the mention of himself. He had no idea that having the slightest interest in that kingdom would cause such a huge commotion. A tinge of guilt pierced his heart. However, he still felt attracted to that place. Leo should hate and avoid that kingdom, as his parents wanted him to, but he couldn’t._

_He had the impression that this would never change._

_Downtrodden, Leo came back to his room, millions of questions still unanswered, but he lacked the courage to ask his parents about it._

_Maybe someday, when he was older, he would understand, like his mother said._  


 

* * *

 

Leo ran on the streets of the capital, brimming with energy. A festival was going on, huh! He certainly wanted to see!

"Oh, my prince, what are you doing here so soon?" One of the villagers indagued as she saw Leo pass by, much more familiarly than one would deem appropriate for royalty.

"Wahaha, I'm here for the festival, of course!" He swirled around, holding the woman's hands enthusiastically. "By the way, thank you for the gift you sent me yesterday! Your food is always delicious."

The villager laughed heartily. "You're always so carefree for nobility, talking to commoners like that. Don't you get in trouble, lord Leo?"

Leo frowned. "I do! The other nobles and even my dad always nag me about it! But I don't understand the point of formalities, and I don't care, either!" He let go of the villager's hand. "Oh! It's starting!" Leo ran off to another direction, even forgetting to wave goodbye.

The woman chuckled. "Such a sweet boy, I wish from the bottom of my heart that he never changes."

The festivals of the capital always brimmed with energy, Leo loved it. He took part in most activities, happily chatting with everyone involved. Many would say this was a way of acting unbefitting of the heir of House Tsukinaga and future king, but Leo didn't care. He wanted to sing, dance and have fun with all the people! And everyone was so nice, acting distant would be such a shame! Being friends with the villagers was much more rewarding, it was better than being friends with the snot nosed nobles from his household, at least.

The musical number of the festival had just started, Leo jumped in almost instantly, singing along with the crowd.. Music always made him feel alive. Singing with everyone was his happiness.

Being honest, Leo didn't think he was fit to be king. He was clumsy and air headed. Ruling was simply a thing he had no interest in. But, his parents wished from the bottom of their hearts that Leo would grow to be a fine man, perfectly fitting for ruling the kingdom. He loved them, and so, Leo couldn't deny their wishes.

Leo at least wished to live his youth to the fullest, singing, dancing and composing. He was happy that way, away from all the stupidities of the court.

As soon as the festival ended, Leo went to rest on his favorite place.

The river located inside one of the nearby forests was one of Leo’s favorite things. He loved adventure, but the serenity of the place always managed to put him in peace, to rest his mind and avoid unnecessary thoughts.

He wondered what would happen if he just made a raft and let the waters of the river guide him, to which place would it take him? A new land, yet unknown by the others? Or a secret civilization secretly planning world domination?! Well, that’s a question he would never have the answer for, but he couldn’t help but fantasize.

The sun was beginning to finally set, bringing with itself the moon. That was the time Leo needed to go back, since his family would start worrying if he didn’t show up for dinner. He sadly glanced over to the river one last time, not wanting to abandon his dearest place to rest.

Although, this time, his eyes met with an uncommon sight.

Floating at the waters of the river, there was a chunk of wood, but it wasn’t that thing that caught Leo’s attention, it was the shiny object neatly placed over it, as if begging to be picked up by someone. Who was Leo to deny its wish?

Leo observed the object thoroughly; it seemed to be a silver necklace adorned with diamonds. Leo was no specialist in jewels, but it didn’t exactly look _cheap_. The diamonds, though, were not the most amusing part of the necklace, but rather, the symbol carved in it. He recognized the symbol pretty well, it was the crest of the nobility of Nix.

During most of his life, it was undeniable that Leo held a strange attachment and curiosity toward the kingdom of snow, he frequently studied its story and collected picture books with paintings of Nix’s nature. Sadly, most of it was done on hiding, since Leo’s family harbored an unusual hatred toward the kingdom.

But, he never would let this kind of thing quench his curiosity. What is in the past is in the past, isn’t it? It’s time to make amends! Isn’t that what the four kingdoms were aiming for nowadays? What use was the yearly assembly if not to promote peace? Seriously, adults were indecipherable.

“Leader!” An all too familiar voice shouted in his direction. Leo instinctively hid the necklace in one of his pockets. If he saw that necklace Leo would be dead… Or worse, forced to throw it away!

The boy approached Leo with a frown on his face, visibly irritated. “How many times must the queen ask me to come fetch you?! Forgive my insolence, my lord, but you are such a disgrace! I cannot understand how your brain works.”

The boy who was so exasperated at Leo’s far too common antics was Tsukasa Suou, the boy who was the court's favorite to be the future head of the royal guard, and, arguably, Leo’s closest friend.

“But Suo~ aren’t you disgraceful yourself?” Leo stated, absentmindedly.

Tsukasa grunted not so elegantly, but quickly regained his composure. “I won’t let your senseless words frustrate me any longer! Now, will you accompany me back to the castle, or will I have to drag you?”

“Fine, fine. I was planning on it, anyway.” Leo complied and walked alongside Tsukasa.

Tsukasa was a good and earnest kid, Leo trusted him fully. Even though he came from a noble family, Tsukasa surprisingly didn’t share the same views as them, which was a relief. There was nothing Leo hated more than dumb, stuck up people, who feared change as much as death.

Walking in silence for a few minutes, Leo noticed Tsukasa’s complexion looked a bit softer than usual. “Suo~, you look happy.” Leo smirked “Don’t tell me, have you finally won another tournament, after all these years?” He teased.

Tsukasa has been in a wave of bad luck during his sparring sessions once again. Although, Leo never thought he was bad at it, every time they sparred Leo could notice the boy’s growth clearly.

Tsukasa glared at Leo, offended. “For your information, my skills have been getting much better lately,” He stated proudly, but quickly changed subjects “However, that is not the cause of my enthusiasm. You do remember that tomorrow is the day the royal family and higher nobles will travel to the kingdom of Nix, correct? And for the first time, I have been allowed the honor to accompany you as the favorite to succeed the leader of the royal guard-”

Leo jumped in surprise. “Nix?! I completely forgot! Wahaha!” Excitement was visible in Leo’s voice. So it’s time for the change, huh! He was glad, the past few years’ travels were _so_ boring! The kingdom of Symphonia was pretty and all, he loved the songs very much! But he had visited that place during his whole life, he needed new experiences! Sometimes he hated that the assembly's location only changed every decade.

Tsukasa sighed loudly. “I’ve truly given up on you, leader.”

They walked together toward the castle with their usual banter.

The castle always made Leo uneasy. He felt terrible, but he didn’t enjoy that place. A place filled with people who would obey all his commands and do the impossible to grant his every wish, even if they didn’t even him properly. It all felt so false, so utterly hollow and devoid of any meaning. Well, not that many things weren't.

Leo wasn’t fit for the life of royalty. He was too straightforward to be able to properly follow the etiquette to a t, like his parents wished him to. But, he would still try, even if it was suffocating, even if it slowly killed him, his family deserved better than a heir who would bring them nothing but disappointment.

At the sight of his mother, he forced himself to smile. "I’m sorry I missed dinner again,” He said apologetically. Leo had missed a lot of dinners recently, simply because the company of his family made guilt wash all over him.

His mother chuckled. “That’s okay, you must have been preparing yourself for the trip tomorrow, right? I put some food in your room, go eat it.” She said sweetly and waved him goodbye. Leo let out his breath that he wasn't even aware he was holding. Family was difficult.

He rushed over to his room, with only one goal in mind: examining the necklace.

Fortunately, Leo’s room had a decent enough lock that would ensure his privacy. He still kept all the books about Hiems that he bought in hiding long ago. It should be enough to dig up any meaning the necklace might have.

“Hmm, this doesn’t look like any of these at all…” He talked to himself, completely frustrated with his lack of results. The necklace didn’t resemble any jewelry his books talked of, so he concluded that that necklace was something more personal.

It worried him.

What if it was important for the owner, and they had just lost it? Maybe it carried irreplaceable memories, or was a gift from a loved one, wait… It could be an emblem of a secret organization?! Maybe that was how they identified each other?! Oh no, he had to give the necklace back to its owner… What if they were executed as a traitor?! That’s it, he had decided, Leo would give the necklace back, even if it took years.

Alright! Leo’s heroic search would start tomorrow, no exceptions!

He jumped on the bed, full of determination and incredibly excited for the things he would encounter tomorrow.

Tsukasa came barging in on his room at ungodly early hours, he wasn’t even sure if the sun had risen yet.

“ _Leader!_ ” Tsukasa shouted as if all the excitement in the world was contained in his body. “Get up! We must travel!”

“Suo… Shut up…” Leo got up groggily, still wanting to sleep for some good five hours.

“Hmph. You are a prince, you should act like one. Get up early, or I’ll throw cold water at you just like last time. I’m not letting your incompetence tarnish my reputation!” He was scolding Leo, but his voice sounded eerily cheerful.

Even if he felt like not getting up yet just to irritate Tsukasa, Leo got ready in an amazing amount of time. After all, he was also excited.

As soon as he grabbed the necklace and neatly hid it on his cloak, Leo exited his room and went to the carriage that would take him, his parents and Tsukasa to Nix. Fortunately, a travel to Nix would only take some hours. The Port Towns were not that distant to the capital, and the magic portals they used to travel were always very effective thanks to Anima and Symphonia's magic.

That didn’t mean it would be any less suffocating staying in the same place as his parents for that much time, though.

The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

It was pathetic. Leo felt so small at the presence of his parents, he kept thinking over and over about what to say or how to act to not disappoint them any further; of course, he knew his parents loved him a ton, but recognizing this fact did little other than deepen the guilt he felt in his heart for being the way he is.

Leo always faltered at his father’s scrutiny, he always seemed to be analyzing Leo- judging his every action, trying to figure out if it was appropriate for a king. Leo couldn’t stand those eyes, he felt his breathing erratic and every part of his body trembling merely at the sight of it. And so, he ran away.

Sadly, Leo averted his gaze, not being able to bear the weight of his father’s desires, he fled. It was pathetic, unsightly even, how much of a coward Leo was.

He couldn't stand being reminded of how hollow he truly was. Leo did his best to have fun, to sing with everyone, to compose numerous songs… But he was unable to shake the crushing emptiness inside his heart. His father was the very embodiment of the emptiness he felt on a daily basis. Of the boredom that ate away at him every day of his life, like a blood sucking monster.

Noticing Leo’s action, his father scoffed, completely displeased by it. Leo’s shame and discomfort only increased, mulling over the same thoughts that constantly haunted him. They would be happier if I wasn’t their son. I’ll never be fit to be king.

His mother, aware of the silent exchange, frantically tried to remedy the situation, talking about whatever came in mind first. She, too, bore great expectations for Leo, but was decidedly sweeter about it. Leo’s father on the other hand was stubborn and rigid, never admitting failure and much less cowardice.

He forced himself to go along his mother’s chatting to ease the mood, and laughed awkwardly. He just wanted it to be over already, he couldn’t stand it.

Snapping Leo’s out of such terrible thoughts, he felt a warmth envelop his shoulder.

Sheepishly, Tsukasa placed a reassuring hand on Leo’s shoulder and waved a tiny, reliable smile. That gesture, as simple as it may seem, helped Leo calm down his nerves. Leo constantly forgot about how dependable Tsukasa really was. Granted, his babyface and often immature attitude didn’t help his image, but he was Leo’s closest friend for a reason.

He reciprocated Tsukasa’s smile with one of his own, and even if just a little, he felt the trip getting more bearable.

As soon as Leo stepped out of the carriage he felt as if his legs were going to give up on him due to the sheer amount of pressure he had faced. Thankfully, he felt like he could finally breathe properly the moment he spotted the beautiful white nature he was so fond of in the horizon.

They were going to stay at the royal castle itself, as guests of honor, and were allowed to stay up until three weeks after the end of the assembly. The servants kindly showed Leo his room, and he must admit he threw himself on the bed far too quickly, making the servants raise their eyebrows in confusion before turning around to leave.

He sighed in resignation, Leo still wanted to explore his surroundings, and of course try to find the owner of the mysterious necklace, but he felt the will leave his body entirely. Maybe he simply needed a rest.

The last thing he remembers before he fell asleep was the feeling of someone eyeing him curiously and silent whispers.

_“Do you think that is…”_

_“I dunno, but it would be funny if it was. His face would be priceless~”_

It was already afternoon when Leo woke up from his unexpected nap. He didn’t plan that at all, he even felt a little bit bad about wasting his precious time of adventure this way… Maybe it would be even harder to get Tsukasa out of his back this time. Well, Leo would find a way, he knew Tsukasa too well to not be able to even avoid him.

Leo curiously opened his room’s wardrobe, wondering what kind of clothing he would find. In his books there were always illustrations of the typical outfits of Nix, which consisted in, of course, heavy clothing to shield the body from the merciless cold. However, what truly interested Leo were the unique adornments each of them possessed, it breathed life into every piece.

Unfortunately, he was faced with nothing but disappointment. The outfits displayed were atrociously bland, with no sign of the unique aspects of Nix's culture at all, just boring, ugly green cloaks. He sighed, but put it on without further ado.

Double checking to see if the necklace was with him, he left the room with careful and silent steps.

Leo wandered aimlessly, not realizing his sense of direction was as bad as his etiquette. He was probably walking in circles actually, but that’s what he came here for, isn’t it? Adventure! No way exploring a castle wouldn’t be exciting-

A loud _thud_ stopped Leo’s line of thought, and he realized he had bumped into someone accidentally. In front of him was a blond haired person, looking exasperated at the flowers that were now on the ground.

Leo looked at the person apologetically, “Sorry, sorry! I’m an airhead, you see! Let me help you.” He crouched down to help the stranger pick up the flowers, but she only shook her head.

“I don’t think we can save the flowers now, though.” She chuckled slightly, looking sadly at the now trampled flowers.

“But…” Leo said in a remorseful and tiny voice.

As if noticing Leo’s remorse, the stranger’s expression quickly lightened up “Oh dear! It’s fine, it’s fine! Don’t look so sad because of some flowers.” She fleshed a bright, reliable smile that seemed to wipe all of Leo’s worries away. “If you’re the prideful type, though, may I ask you a tiny favor to make up for it~?”

Leo’s expression lightened up by the proposal. “Sure! I might be an airhead, but I can be reliable if I feel like it! Wahaha!” He put a hand to his chest, bragging.

She looked at Leo curiously. “In this case, I’d like you to run some errands to pick more flowers in the forest near the castle,” She put a hand on her chin, looking deep in thought “But maybe that’s a bit too much to ask, you’re royalty, aren’t you…?”

Leo huffed, irritated. “I don’t care about this kind of stuff, that’s for the other boring nobles to worry about.” His voice held a tinge of resentment “I’ll bring them for you in no time!”

“Oh my, so charming! I like your way of thinking.” She beamed.

Out of the blue, a voice that seemed to pop out of nowhere interrupted their chatter.

“Nacchan… You’re late.”

Leo was taken aback by the sudden appearance of a black haired boy. He seemingly had no presence at all. How interesting!

“Sorry for making you wait, Ritsu-chan! I just had a little surprise.” She turned around to talk to Leo one last time “When you find it, just ask anyone in the castle that you were out running errands for the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, Arashi Narukami! Then I’ll pick up from there, bye bye!”

Arashi quickly waved Leo goodbye and left alongside the phantom-like boy. Leo decided he liked her, all the more reason to absolutely succeed at his mission. The start of an adventure, a new experience…

With newfound resolve and excitement, he finally managed to find the exit of the castle and setted off with utmost energy.

Leo still couldn’t help but being completely bewildered by the snow covering the trees, the frozen lakes that looked as if they were shining, and the so awfully clear view of the sky. It was beautiful. Since he had never set foot on Nix before this occasion, it was absolutely necessary for him to explore after his task was completed, who knows the amount of beautiful songs he could take out of this experience? Keeping himself locked away at the castle would be a crime against music- no! A crime against the entirety of mankind! Who was he, to deny people of one of the future compositions of a brilliant genius such as himself?

He had to explore the forests, visit villages, talk to new people, he _had_ to live all the possible experiences in this beautiful place with the limited time he had, after all, he would have to come back soon. Too soon.

Frantically, Leo grabbed his cloak tighter, really not used to the devastating cold. He headed toward the forest Arashi had mentioned. Who knew what kind of things would he find there, aside from the pretty flowers? Leo had always been a free spirit, excited for anything new that life threw at him and welcoming it with open arms and a huge grin.

Fortunately, the walk wasn’t very long and he arrived in no time. The sun was still shining and illuminating his path, he was positive he could find inspiration in such a beautiful place! And, of course, the flowers.

Leo wandered and wandered, looking closely at his surroundings. The forest wasn’t that thick, rather, it looked very pretty. He would never get tired of all the white, it was a color he rarely saw in Aestas. Leo couldn’t help but find it gorgeous.

The more he saw, the less he understood the hatred his own kingdom harbored for Nix. Such a waste! If only everyone could just get along!

Leo angrily stepped further into the forest, remembering the unfortunate mentality his people shared. He mumbled and complained as he walked, not paying attention to where he was going any longer. No worries! He could certainly find his way back! Maybe!

Still not so carefully analyzing his surroundings, Leo finally spotted his goal: the flowers looked as beautiful and vibrant as he had remembered. It was certainly a miracle such fragile plants like those could still grow and survive in such a difficult environment to live in.

Crouching down to carefully pick up the flowers, a large frozen lake entered his field of vision. Its size was interesting by itself, it made a very beautiful view to look at. The lake was almost ethereal, how the trees and flowers complemented the place perfectly, so perfect it was almost as if everything was thoroughly crafted by a talented artisan.

Leo approached the lake eagerly, but stopped on his tracks the moment he heard a peculiar sound grace his ears.

A bit far from where Leo stood, there was a person.

The moment his eyes locked on said person, he felt breathless.

Leo had already seen many beautiful things and people, but he never felt so dumbstruck he forgot to breathe.

That person was beautiful. So incredibly beautiful, more so than anyone Leo had ever laid his eyes on. His hair looked as if it was made out of pure silver strands. Such an unusual color, it reminded him of mystic creatures from fairytales. His skin was as pale as snow. He suited this scenario perfectly, Leo thought.

As if that wasn’t enough to stun Leo for life, the person seemed to be able to walk — dance? — above the ice, he had never seen anything of the sort before. What a little box of surprises this person was, huh!

Leo continued to look intensely at the aforementioned person. The dance seemed intense, and yet, he never lost the grace and poise in each of his movements. They were perfectly executed, he looked graceful, elegant, regal. Just by watching it Leo felt like that that dance was made only for him to perform. All the movements joined together to create a masterpiece, like notes from his songs.

He didn’t know exactly what that _dance_ was, but it was hypnotizing regardless, taking his eyes off that scene for even a second felt like a felony, and so, he watched it until the end.

Leo didn’t know what to say, his heart racing and an whirlwind of thoughts and ideas for various different compositions started flooding his mind without stopping. He had never felt that way in his life ever, he was so incredibly _overwhelmed._ But one thing he knew, he _needed to compose._

“Ahh! Inspiration! It’s coming! It’s coming!” Leo frantically yelled paying no mind for what was happening around him anymore. He quickly grabbed the ink and pens he always carried with himself and started scribbling with over the top excitement on the first tree trunk he could find. His whole body moved without pausing, the song was writing itself. _Inspiration._

Leo felt like he could create thousands of operas in mere seconds. Ah, he wanted to be able to see that person dance every single day of his life! What was that guy’s name? Where was he from? How could he move like that?

“Hey,” A voice interrupted his thoughts "Are you stupid? Did you get lost or something?”

Leo looked at that person closely, from head to toes.

And then it had finally dawned on him.

“You! You’re the pretty person who was doing that weird thing on the ice, aren’t you!” Leo’s eyes twinkled with happiness and enthusiasm “What was that?! How do you do that?!”

The other person groaned. “I should be the one asking who _you_ are. You don’t look like you’re from here,” He glanced at the tree trunks with ink all over them and groaned even louder “What the hell is this?!”

“The finest form of art, of course!”

“You’re going to damage the trees with this ink, you know.”

Leo looked at the trees for a moment and felt bad, but ultimately decided that it was worth it. “You still didn’t answer my questions!”

“Neither did you.” He rolled his eyes. Rude!

Leo frowned. “I asked first, I have priority.”

With a groan, the other replied. “Oh for fuck’s sake are you a child? I don’t even have time to waste with you. Get lost. That is, if you aren’t already.” He turned his back on Leo and left without batting an eye.

Ignoring the guy’s words completely, Leo chased after him. “I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me about yourself.” He pouted like a child being denied of a new toy.

He stared at Leo with an expression of utter disbelief. “You know, when people tell you to leave them alone you should do it.”

“What are you saying?! You might apparently have a terrible personality but you’re still the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen!” He got even closer to the pretty person’s face, his eyes twinkling. “For some reason I don't know you make me explode with inspiration! Be my muse!”

His face reddened at Leo’s proximity. “Hey, don’t you have any clue about personal space? Back off.” Recomposing himself, he continued “There is no rule forcing me to stay here and humour you, so I’m leaving.” This time quicker, he left, not giving Leo the opportunity to follow him.

As Leo saw the person’s figure slip away from his sight, he muttered his last request. “Can’t I just know your name?”

Leo was only met with silence. He sighed at the lack of response, and decided to head back himself.

...Or better, _tried_ to head back, since he was completely lost.

That… can’t be good, right.

Obviously, Leo loved adventure, but getting lost in the middle of a forest wasn’t _that_ exciting. The amount of people he would inconvenience if he indeed got lost would be way bigger than only Tsukasa this time, maybe he would even cause trouble for his beloved kingdom of Nix. Ahh, he really needed to head back…

Cautiously picking up the flowers that were almost forgotten, he tried to find a way in the midst of the vast forest. Leo marched forward, painfully squeezing his brain for any kind of memory that could be useful. Goddammit genius brain that only functioned to compose! If only he had made a song based on the way back!

Leo wandered and wandered, doing his best to pay attention to his surroundings this time, but his desperation only grew each second.

He came to a halt when certain trees entered his field of vision. Those were the trees he had dirtied with ink a few moments ago. Leo meekly fell to his knees at the realization that he had been only walking in circles, never making any progress. How ironic, he really was useless for anything that didn’t involve music, wasn’t him?

Desperately, he laughed painfully as if he was being faced with his own death. That would be such a stupid death though… Not interesting at all! Befitting of himself, really.

“Hey, that’s enough.”

Interrupting his thoughts, Leo quickly turned his head to the direction of the melodious voice.

“I didn’t think you were _really_ lost, guess I overestimated you, huh?” The beautiful person had crossed paths with Leo once again, and spoke to him nonchalantly. “Come on, get up already. Having to baby mindless outsiders is already irritating as is, don’t make it even more annoying.” The stranger said harshly, but it lacked any bite. It sounded soft, even.

Leo blinked at him in disbelief, as if the guy was an angel sent by the heavens. He quickly got up, trying to not sound like a child who was about to cry. “Wahh, didn’t you leave?!”

The pretty person averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed. “I just thought it would be a pain if you didn’t manage to find your way back, so I came to check on you. That’s all.”

With his eyes once again twinkling with excitement at hearing those words, Leo spoke eagerly at him. “I knew it! You _are_ a nice person after all!” Leo laughed cheerfully, a complete turn on his mood. This pretty person got more interesting every second!

He scoffed. “Of course I am. Anyway, follow me. I’ll help you but only this once, okay?”

Leo nodded cheerfully, feeling better than before thanks to the stranger's act of kindness.

They began walking side by side, the pretty person firmly guiding the way. Of course, Leo wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by, he would question him to his heart's content.

“See, you still didn’t tell me your name!” Leo said eagerly.

“That’s none of your business.” The pretty person brushed him off once again.

“Despite these harsh words you still took time to help me… You make no sense at all! Wahahaha!” Leo laughed even louder, his interest in said person only increased. “Even if you’re not going to tell me your name, I still want you to know mine. I’m Leo Tsukinaga, and I’m here on a visit!”

The person stopped on his tracks, completely dumbfounded. “Tsukinaga?! Wait, aren’t you royalty?!”

“Yup!”

“What in the gods’ heaven are you doing in the middle of nowhere? Are the guards of your kingdom so incompetent they let you roam off on your own?!” He looked completely exasperated.

Leo frowned. “Don’t insult the guards, they’re all good guys! I’m just super good at sneaking out unnoticed, like spies from Anima!” He stated, proud of his achievements.

The stranger resumed walking, and made an expression like he had finally understood it all. “I see… You’re just stupid.”

“Hmph, I might be stupid but you’re even more stupid for calling me stupid.” Leo pouted childishly.

“Whatever, guess I really am stuck with a five years old.” He sighed, defeated.

They walked for a little more time, with Leo asking all kinds of questions and the other still avoiding all of them.

“What was that dance you were doing on the ice?! Was it some sort of magic from the people of Nix?! Wait, don't tell me, I'll guess it. Was it magic?!”

He rolled his eyes. “That's called ‘ice skating’, and if it's magic or not it's, again, none of your business.”

Leo put a hand to his chin, thinking really hard. “I’ve never heard of it before… But it can't be a bad thing since you look so beautiful doing it.”

“You really do say these things without thinking about it all, don't you? Guys like you are _so_ annoying.”

Leo looked at him, confused. “Hmmm, I don't get you? I'm just saying what I think, it's simple! You're really beautiful, gracious and stunning. I feel inspired seeing you dance.”

Dumbfounded, the pretty person blinked at him repeatedly. “You’re awfully weird.”

Smiling, Leo responded. “You’re the weird one, have you never received a compliment?”

After that curious exchange, they fell into a warm silence. The pretty person looked like he knew each corner of the forest, he found the way to the castle terrifyingly fast.

When the town was finally on sight, the person stopped.

“You can find your way from here, can’t you? In this case, I’ll get going.”

When he was about to turn around and leave, Leo abruptly shouted. “See you tomorrow, then!”

He stopped and looked right at Leo, his expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief. “What?!”

“I’ll come see you tomorrow, too!” Leo smiled brightly, so bright it was almost blinding. He didn’t care if the other didn’t even want to tell him his name, Leo felt that he wasn’t a bad person. He sensed deeply within his heart that he shouldn't let the other go without a fight.

“Listen, you can’t just-”

Before he was able to finish, a shout interrupted their conversation.

“ _Leader!”_ Tsukasa angrily ran in Leo’s direction, absolutely done.

“Crap, I need to go. It was nice meeting you, bye!” Leo ran in the opposite direction of Tsukasa as fast as possible, already losing the other from sight.

Many hours of intense pursuing later, Tsukasa, much to Leo’s disappointment, had finally managed to catch him, dragging Leo back to the castle forcefully.

His parents merely shrugged it off as something that happened every day — which pretty much did — but Leo still had to sit through the uptenth scolding of the day from Tsukasa before going back to his room to sleep.

What a day! His trip to Nix was going much better than he had imagined. He had already given the flowers to Arashi successfully, to which she responded with a grin and a tight hug. Although, everything Leo was able to think about was that person He wondered what his name was, where he came from, what he liked to do… Simple questions such as those, but that still felt all too exciting for Leo. He wanted to meet him again- No, he _needed_ to meet him again.

With nothing but that wish in mind, Leo closed his eyes and slept.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! sorry I took ages but here it is, also a heads up but the scenes in italic in the start of each chapters are /always/ going to be flashbacks. enjoyyyy

****

_ The darkness enveloped his vision entirely. How long has it even been since he had seen anything that wasn’t completely black? Izumi couldn’t remember. All his senses were clouded, he couldn’t feel anything other than the pain that the ropes tightly tied around his wrists inflicted on his skin. The silk wrapped around his hands made him feel like a disposable animal, ready to be put down at any moment. Pathetic. _

_ His body felt weak, devoid of any form of life it might have ever had, it no longer had the energy to struggle, to hide and to fight. Izumi himself had already ruined everything he had once deemed precious, like a relegated knight stricken with bloodlust, foolishly killing everything that dared crossing his path. _

_ Abruptly, he heard the sound of a door opening. For the first time in so long, his face was met with light. Izumi instinctively turned his face away, not used to such brightness anymore. His eyes were still failing on him, but he could make out the sound of fierce footsteps getting closer each second. Ah, that was it, it was all over. _

_ Izumi winced in pain as the person whose footsteps belonged to grabbed a handful of his hair lifting his face so they were facing one another. “So you’re the monster I came here to fetch, huh? It's just a kid! How old are you? Nine?” _

_ He stood there in painful silence, not even having the energy to mutter a word.“You’re lucky we have orders to bring you alive, if it was my decision an aberration like you would be buried five feet under the ground by now.” _

_ Those words cut deep inside his heart, he wanted to retort them, to deny and reaffirm his self worth, but nothing would come out. It was impossible to fight against the cold harsh reality, he was an aberration, a monster who served no other purpose than to hurt those close to him. _

_ The man harshly slammed Izumi’s face against the floor. He groaned in pain with the impact feeling himself starting to get dizzy.  _

_ “If I touch your skin, I’ll freeze over, won’t I?” The irritating man laughed cynically “Man, that was close! I’m glad I’m wearing gloves.” _

_ Izumi stared at the man with pure hatred in his eyes; he knew he was an aberration, that much was obvious, but he couldn’t stand anyone toying with him that way. There was nothing Izumi hated more than being looked down upon. He wanted to take that obnoxious grin out of that man’s face and make him feel sorry he was ever born. _

_ However, his own body was in no condition to fight, Izumi had no other choice than to endure that kind of humiliation. It pissed him off to no end. _

_ The man carried him on his shoulder and swiftly threw him at the back of a carriage like he was worthless merchandise.  _

_ He didn’t know where the man was taking him to, but he felt himself being unable to care about such a thing. Izumi had much bigger concerns to address, such as the overwhelming hunger and thirst he felt. He wasn’t sure about how many time he had spent without drinking or eating anything, he needed to do so desperately. _

_ No matter what it took, he wasn’t going to die here. Izumi would find food and water, adapt to wherever the man was taking him. Even if the whole world wanted him gone, he would still persist and survive, like the selfish plague he knew he was. _

  
  


* * *

 

“Izumi-chan! Back already?” 

The usual obnoxious voice cheerfully greeted Izumi as he stepped inside his home. Today had been one hell of an exhausting day, even for Izumi, he wasn't used to speaking with idiots for such an extended period of time, and now he would have to talk to another?!

Seriously, what was up with that Tsukinaga guy? He talked  _ way _ too much for Izumi's liking and said whatever came to mind. Izumi didn't know how a person like that could be real.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Izumi not so elegantly threw himself on his bed. Annoyed, he spoke. “Ugh, why are  _ you _ even here…” 

Arashi gasped, looking utterly offended. “How mean! Can’t I even check on my dear friend anymore?”

Arashi Narukami, Izumi's self proclaimed friend, once again intruded on his home and acted like she owned the place. Izumi knew her since he had arrived in the capital, and they stayed together ever since, much to Izumi's complaints.

“You're going to get in trouble if someone sees you here, you're not on duty, you know? Don't expect me to cover for you, I won't.”

Arashi beamed happily at Izumi's words. “My, my, concerned, are you? Don’t worry, Izumi-chan!” 

How completely annoying, always acting as she wanted, without any regard to what being close to him meant. Izumi still constantly wondered if she was never afraid, even knowing that death was mere centimeters away?

As Arashi made herself comfortable closer to Izumi, he got up, terror spreading over his body and his mood shifting drastically. Izumi felt his entire body tense up at the proximity. “What do you want? Get this over with already!” He said, exasperated at what could have happened.

Sadly, Arashi sighed. “I'm not going to touch your skin, you're covered in so many clothes but you’re still such a worrywart, I swear!” She pouted, annoyed. “I just came here to ask if you received something interesting today~?”

“Huh? No, I guess? Have you finally lost it, Naru-kun?” Izumi crossed his arms and frowned.

Arashi frowned for a moment, clearly troubled, but this expression was quickly replaced by her usual smile. “Boo hoo, your life is so boring, Izumi-chan! You should do more exciting things, like traveling, meeting new people and-”

“...Naru-kun.” As Izumi answered, his complexion looked tired. Defeated, even.

Abruptly, Arashi stopped. “I spoke without thinking, didn't I?” She laughed bitterly “I'm sorry, I just worry about you.”

“I'm  _ fine,  _ don't look down on me, I've been living this way since forever.” Izumi scoffed arrogantly “You know I won't drop dead, I'm not that weak.”

“I didn't mean it this way…” She sighed, defeated “I'll get going, okay? You know you can always count on me and Ritsu-chan for anything.”

Arashi got up from the bed and left without another word, leaving a distressed Izumi behind.

Izumi knew all too well that Arashi didn't mean anything bad. Hell, of course she didn't. Arashi was one of the few people in the entire world who didn't wish to see his body devoid of any life.

To hell with this.

All he needed to do was survive. He didn't need to rely on others, the only person worthy of his trust was himself.

With those thoughts alone, his head hit his pillow and Izumi finally fell into a deep slumber.

The next day came much too quickly. Izumi followed his usual routine and walked toward his favorite practice spot: the frozen lake in the middle of the forest.

As he walked, memories of that weird guy's words resurfaced. He wondered if Leo meant it, if he would come back to see Izumi again. Of course, Izumi didn't expect it to be true.  _ Obviously,  _ he was royalty, wasn't he? Why would he waste his time with fickle things such as this? He supposed it was for the better, since he would be nothing more than an annoyance.

Izumi approached his destination with steady steps.

He stopped on his tracks.

As if the gods themselves were mocking him, Izumi's thoughts were interrupted by the sweet sound of humming. 

He froze at the sight in front of him. A bored looking Leo Tsukinaga, trying to draw on the snow with a stick while he hummed a sweet melody.

“Wha- What?!” He dumbly let out a gasp, not expecting such a sight.

Leo's eyes lit up almost instantly at the sight of Izumi. Leo hurriedly approached him way too eagerly for Izumi's liking.

“You really came!” Leo beamed enthusiastically, the glint on his eyes was not something Izumi was accustomed to.

Izumi huffed. “Of course. This is  _ my _ practicing spot, after all. The one who shouldn't be here is  _ you.” _

Annoyingly brushing off Izumi's irritated tone, Leo responded. “Don't mind me! I'll just be here watching you dance. You won't even notice me!” He smiled triumphantly and bragged “I'm as sneaky as a fox, as secretive as a chameleon!”

“Chameleon?” Izumi arched an eyebrow at the uncommon name.

“Huh! I forgot you guys don't have those animals around here, but they're like lizards that can change color and stuff. Pretty cool right?”

This slightly picked Izumi's curiosity, but he rapidly killed the feeling. “Whatever.”

Distancing himself from Leo, Izumi headed toward the lake. He wouldn't let some random guy slow down his routine.

In fact, Izumi didn't care much about ice skating. For him, it was a hobby to pass time and something that made Izumi feel less useless, while also being pretty accessible for Izumi, since he could just create a blade made of ice and use it. But that was about it. He never really did care about the traditional aspects of ice skating, and much less the religious ones. After all, his kingdom uses religion to shun him, doesn't it? If anything, he resents and curses the god they revere.

Which puzzled him even further seeing the look of pure adoration that guy had on his eyes right now.

Leo looked so purely,  _ sincerely _ happy. He couldn't pinpoint any malice on those eyes. Izumi couldn't understand it one bit, he was sure his movements were sloppy at best. He could never compare to the professionals with proper gear. What was so interesting about such a mundane performance?

Unfortunately, Leo’s presence inevitably distracted Izumi. He couldn’t stop trying to see his reactions and deciphering them every chance he got. Izumi missed a few more steps than usual.

However, as stubborn as he was, Izumi was not going to give that nuisance any time of his day. He kept practicing as always. When Izumi was finished, he left the lake without even batting an eye to the idiot happily waving at him and shouting “Bye bye! I learned my way back so I’m good!”. Didn’t he even understand he was being ignored?!  _ So  _ annoying!

Izumi was certain that would ward off that guy for good, no one likes being ignored after all. But, when he came back the next day, there he was: idly doodling on the snow with a stick. Once again disturbing Izumi.

Well… He had to give up someday, right? Izumi was sure.

But no, actually. The absolute idiot came the next day, and the day after that as well. Izumi’s holy patience was already more than gone.

He cut practice short that day, as much as he hated it, he was going to need extra measures to get rid of the dumbass. Izumi changed the boots with the ice blades to his regular ones.

When Izumi looked in Leo’s direction, the idiot was already cheerfully waving at him.

“You were amazing! Just like always!” Leo smiled.

He crossed his arms. “Anyway,  _ why _ do you keep coming back? Shouldn't you be at the castle eating some fancy bullshit or whatever?”

Leo frowned. “I told you I'd come see you,”

This guy sure was annoyingly persistent! Izumi didn’t want to have to do this, but he had no choice.

“Didn't anyone tell you about the ‘monster' of this forest?” Izumi smiled bitterly. People had spread rumors about Izumi living here, most likely to keep him isolated for good and avoid any problems he might cause.

Seemingly thinking for a bit, Leo replied. “I think I've heard of it, the ice monster that freezes anything it touches, or something?”

As if that was exactly what Izumi wanted to hear, he smirked. Maybe this would ward off that idiot for good. Maybe it would keep Leo safe from Izumi.

Izumi removed his gloves without saying a word, Leo eyed him curiously. At last, he looked into Leo's eyes once more. The same pair of eyes who looked at him with nothing but adoration ever since they met. Izumi would surely end it all in the next second.

As Izumi's hand got closer to the tree trunk, he hesitated for mere seconds, but touched it nevertheless.

In a matter of seconds, the entire tree was frozen; its trunk was almost the same as an ice cube now.

“The monster is right here.” Izumi grinned, although some sort of melancholy was mixed in the act as he quickly put the gloves back.

Leo’s eyes widened and he went completely silent, not daring to mutter a word while he approached the frozen tree.

It was the end, he supposed. After this they all just started running and screaming, no one except those two weirdos had the guts to deal with something like -

Laughter.

Irritating and obnoxious laughter filled his surroundings. Izumi could barely believe his own ears.

“What’s this?! So interesting! Wahahaha!” Leo laughed like a child, as if the whole situation was entertaining him “I have to admit I didn’t expect the ‘monster’ to be such a beauty, though.”

“Wh-What’s so interesting?! You should be running!” Izumi stumbled over his own words and irritatedly stomped on the ground, unable to contain the shock on his face.

“Why would I run? This just makes me even more eager to get to know you!” Leo smiled so innocently Izumi was completely taken aback “So what if you freeze stuff? That’s super cool magic! I’ve never seen anyone interpret magic this way!”

What even was this person?! He was completely idiotic, none of his actions made any sense, he defied all common sense completely! What’s more, a person like that, royalty?! Had the world gone completely crazy?!

“Ah!” The idiot raised his voice to speak once again “But I can’t really touch you this way, that’s a shame…” Leo looked down with a gloomy expression.

Izumi looked at Leo like  _ he _ was the monster, and not himself. “You can touch me as long as it isn’t my skin, I guess…” He said whatever came to mind first, too surprised to even formulate any proper response.

Leo hummed in approval. “That’s great! Although I’m still a little bummed out. The few times I saw you, you were always frowning, you need some hugs.” 

Frowning once again, Izumi indagued. “Excuse me?” 

“See! That’s what I mean! I bet you’d look even more beautiful if you smiled.”

“I’m always beautiful, though? You have no say in this.”

“I never denied it,” Leo turned away from Izumi, pointing at another direction “In any case, if you’re done practicing, what about showing me around? I’d love to learn more about this forest, it’s so interesting!”

Izumi groaned, extremely annoyed by Leo’s antics. But, he accompanied Leo either way, it wouldn’t be good if he got lost again, and besides, Izumi knew quite a few good spots.

After all, it wasn’t every day he found someone who treated his curse as something so trivial… Someone who didn’t look at him with disgust or fear on their eyes.

He supposed it wouldn’t hurt humouring that idiot for a day.

They walked aimlessly for the entire morning, discussing whatever came to mind. Talking to Leo was surprisingly easy, he never let the conversation die, and always came up with new topics to talk about, be it normal and acceptable ones such as their likes and dislikes or absolutely batshit insane ones such as Leo’s stupid conspiracy theories.

A memorable part of their little strolls were the moments they crossed paths with an animal, when Leo’s eyes always lit up and he cheerfully approached it. It was  _ a bit _ adorable. Leo took a huge liking to the foxes that roamed the area specifically, always trying to pet them, but every time being met with harsh rejection. Well, of course, foxes are reserved, Izumi quite liked them himself.

Leo threw himself on the snow-covered ground, dejected. “Why do all foxes hate me?” He whined like a child.

“You’re too obnoxious. Be more careful when approaching them.” 

“I already tried that!” He cried “I’m so depressed I could wipe out the saddest song right now… Oh, maybe that wouldn’t be too bad?! That’s unexplored territory for me - ” 

As he spoke, a small fox suddenly jumped on his lap. It looked like a cub. Izumi looked at the cub with confusion and mild amusement at the perfect timing. He knew that little cub pretty well, he was one of the foxes who were born just mere months ago. Still, it was weird for him to just jump into contact like that, usually he was quite shy, but playful nonetheless.

“Woah! Seriously?!” Leo beamed “Well, I’m not complaining.” He petted the fox enthusiastically, enjoying every second of it.

Izumi took a closer look. It wasn’t normal for foxes to act this way. “Is it hurt or something?”

“Huh,” Leo looked closer “I don’t think so. Ah! It fell asleep!”

Leo had the biggest stupid smile on his face as he gently caressed the fox’s fur, the cub slept so serenely it was almost soothing to see.

For the first time in a long time, Izumi smiled. It came so naturally for him, his face moved by itself. He didn’t even realize that he was smiling. However, that didn’t mean it escaped Leo’s sharp eyes.

“I was right,” Leo smiled “You really do look beautiful when you smile.”

Instinctively, Izumi attempted to hide his face with one of his hands, blushing slightly “Shut up! I didn’t smile, you’re seeing things.”

Leo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You act smart but you’re so stupid sometimes — Ouch!” The little cub sneakily bit Leo’s finger when he wasn’t looking, and jumped out of his lap just as suddenly as it came. “Hey! Don’t you have any manners?!” He pouted, looking so betrayed it was almost funny.

He chuckled and went closer to Leo’s side. “You don’t seem hurt, so it’s alright, I guess.” Izumi was in a grossly good mood today, apparently.

Absentmindedly, Izumi extended a hand to help Leo get up, but recoiled the moment he came to his senses once again. 

Leo eyed him suspiciously, but let it pass without any further comments, getting up by himself.

They resumed walking once more. There was a special place Izumi thought Leo would like. It was a very beautiful place, really, full of Izumi’s favorite kind of flowers and a very soothing atmosphere. Maybe this would spark up the idiot’s inspiration again? To be honest, Izumi envied Leo a bit, having something he was so passionate about like this. Izumi had nothing of the sort, he just lived trying to survive and nothing more.

Izumi stopped on his tracks, finally realizing something mortifyingly embarrassing. 

Had he… Had he ever told Leo his name? Had Izumi seriously been hanging out with this guy all day but he simply  _ forgot _ to tell him his  _ name? _

“Hm? What’s up?” Leo asked.

Izumi looked embarrassed by how simply it had just slipped his mind. He looked the other way and mumbled something barely comprehensible “...Izumi.”

“What?”

“Izumi! Izumi Sena! It’s my name, okay?! If you’re really gonna be a parasite and won’t leave me alone at least learn it.” 

Leo blinked once, twice, eyeing Izumi with an expression of complete confusion. 

Just like that, hysterical laughter quickly took place of the condemning silence. Leo laughed so intensely Izumi worried he was about to pass out. What was so funny?

“What kind of greeting is this? It’s perfect! So interesting! Wahahaha!” Leo gasped for air in between the laughter “But, it’s a nice name, it suits you.”

“Of course it’s a nice name, it's my name after all.”

Leo put a hand to his chin, seemingly deep in thought. “Hm… Izumi Sena, Sena,  _ Sena _ …” He repeated Izumi’s name numerous times, Izumi arched an eyebrow. “Ah!  _ Sena!” _ In the end, he shouted his name with a weird intonation.

“Could you please not warp my name this way? It’s annoying.” 

“Too bad! I’m calling you like this from now on. Sena, Sena~” He repeated his name cheerfully, testing how the new word sounded in his voice.

Stupid, really. Absolutely infuriating.

Izumi bit back a smile as they continued walking.

Shortly after the exchange, the place Izumi wanted to show Leo got closer and closer, rapidly entering their field of vision. In no time, they had already arrived.

The place in question was a somewhat weird cave, but entirely made out of ice. It was an stunning place in Izumi’s opinion. When the sun was up and illuminating the land, its light would reflect on the cave. It would be as if the whole place was shining. The cave was also a very serene spot in general, one that Izumi always felt at peace at, as if he was detached from reality.

He didn’t know why he wanted to show this to Leo.

“Wahh, it’s beautiful! So beautiful!” Leo beamed and immediately ventured inside the cave with utmost enthusiasm. Izumi hurriedly followed him.

“Hey! Be careful!”

Leo looked excitedly at all corners of the cave, he could find something that picked his attention even in the most uninteresting corners. Just what was with him? It all looked the same to Izumi.

“Ah, there,” Izumi started “That’s what I wanted to show you.”

Near Izumi were the beautiful ice flowers he knew so well. They were a rare species of flower that only existed in Nix, but was still uncommon even within the kingdom. Those ice flowers were — as the name says — flowers that were completely made of ice. No, they weren’t lifeless ice cubes, but living, breathing flowers, with a body of ice. Izumi had always loved them wholeheartedly. They didn’t freeze over when he touched them, unlike any other form of life.

Leo crouched down next to the flowers. Differently from all the previous things he found on his way, he didn’t immediately touch them, but rather, took a moment to look closely and admire them as if he had found a precious treasure.

“This is so stunning. That’s the kind of thing we’d never see on my kingdom!” His eyes were shining with bewilderment.

Sitting down on the cold ice ground next to Leo, Izumi replied. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Izumi took off the gloves and touched one of the flowers, smiling.

Leo’s eyes widened. “Won’t it freeze-” He stopped “Scratch that, not my brightest moment.” He blushed slightly.

Izumi smirked, muttering an “idiot”. It was loud enough to be heard, gaining a frown from Leo. 

They spent some minutes in complete silence. Izumi glanced at Leo, hopefully without the other noticing. He felt unnerved at the look Leo had on his eyes.

Leo looked at the flowers intensely. However, he had an uncharacteristic sad semblance. Leo, who done nothing but brim with energy since he barged in Izumi's life, looked empty.

Worriedly, Izumi opened his mouth to ask what was so wrong with the flowers. But was interrupted by Leo's expression shifting once again in mere seconds, fleshing his usual smile and changing topics.

Well, Izumi must have imagined it.

“Do you really freeze everything you touch?” Leo asked genuinely, with not an ounce of malice in his voice.

Izumi flinched. Putting his gloves on, he put himself together again to answer. “Not  _ everything,  _ if that was the case I wouldn’t be wearing clothes and all. I only freeze living beings, for some reason.”

Leo put a hand to his chin, deep in thought. “You're right, you did take off the gloves when you froze that tree…”

“It's a pretty inconvenient kind of magic, but at least it's not the absolute worst, I guess?”

“Just as I thought, you're very kind, aren't you, Sena?” 

“Hah? Where did this come from?” Izumi crossed his arms, somewhat irritated.

“You keep huffing and puffing angrily all day, saying things like ‘just drop dead already!’ and the like. And yet, you avoid touching other people at any costs.” Leo smiled serenely.

Izumi stayed silent, his face sullen. He wanted to shout in anger and deny all of those ridiculous statements, but he was simply too tired to. Avoiding Leo's gaze, he directed his attention to the flowers once more.

It sure was a lonely life.

He couldn't remember how the warmth of another person felt like, Izumi only knew the excruciating cold, after all. He remembered the time when he sook warmth, what a fool he was. Due to the misconception Izumi once had that he was a human being like any other, his last childhood memories were of his parents' skin completely frozen. And soon after, of himself being stuck on a dark room for many, many days. 

If only this magic had never awakened inside himself, maybe he wouldn't be a monster. Maybe he would be deserving of warmth.

If only-

A sudden movement, the traces of a long forgotten feeling lingered on his skin.

Inevitably, Izumi's eyes widened as he looked at Leo's gesture.

Before Izumi could realize, Leo had grabbed his hand tightly and wrapped their fingers together. Even if the fabric of Izumi's gloves still denied the direct contact to skin, it gave Izumi some sort of warmth he hadn't felt in so,  _ so _ much time.

Izumi wanted to push Leo away, to shout at him and tell him to leave like he did to any other person who attempted such an act. However, he did none of that. He couldn't find it in his heart when Leo was smiling so happily at him. 

“I'm not going to freeze over as long as it's not skin to skin contact, right? So nothing stops me from doing this, you look like you need it anyway! Always frowning and groaning and-” He stopped “Sena?”

Izumi stared fixedly at their intertwined hands.

It all felt surreal.

For once, Izumi hadn't been afraid of touch. Of himself. 

But why?

“Sena!”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“Don't ignore me~! Are you really gonna ignore such a great guy? I'm holding your hand and all!”

Forgetting all previous thoughts, Izumi's mind was now filled solely with annoyance. “Get up, we have to head back before I end up killing you.”

“You can't do that! Do you want to start a war, huh?! You traitor!”

“I'm not even from your kingdom…”

Despite all the  _ so annoying's _ , Izumi accompanied Leo until the exit of the forest. The two of them still mindlessly holding hands.

That day, Izumi headed home with mixed feelings in his chest. Mostly, he supposed he  _ wasn't _ unhappy, per se, stopping the smiles threatening to appear was almost useless, and so, of course that person would catch up on it.

“What is it, Secchan? You didn't follow our usual routine and skipped the part of kicking me out and went straight for the warm blankets part. This good mood is kinda gross.” Ritsu smirked mockingly.

“Oh shut up. I'm kicking you out right now if you keep this up, Kuma-kun.”

“You can't do that, though. I'm doing my job~”

“It's way past your time already, piss off.” 

Ritsu covered himself even further with the countless blankets Izumi had given him, forming a perfect chrysalis Izumi was too afraid to even try to dismantle.

“No can do. Ecchan is strict, if he finds out I'm slacking off again he's gonna get angry at me.”

“That guy, hm? I still wonder what he's up to.”

“Who knows, royalty life must be really boring, with the assemble now and all that.” Ritsu shifted his gaze to Izumi “What are  _ you _ up to, though? I'm curious about what could even make you that happy.”

“I'm not happy.”

Ritsu laughed and rolled to the other side of the bed. “Sure, sure.”

Kuma-kun was a difficult guy.

Really, he was weird. Just like Arashi, he had been appointed to monitor Izumi by the higher ups from the castle. However, much unlike Arashi, he was almost impossible to read, Izumi could never even imagine what could possibly be going on in that mind of his. Even more jarring, is that Ritsu seemed to be able to read Izumi better than any other person.

Arashi was an open book, but Ritsu was as secretive as ever, Izumi couldn't really tell if he knew anything about him other than he really likes to sleep.

Sleep on  _ his _ bed specifically.

“Hey, don't go falling asleep again! Ugh,  _ so _ annoying!”

Before Izumi could interrupt, Ritsu had already fallen into one of his deep slumbers. Which meant Izumi was sleeping on the spare mattress tonight. He was impossible to wake up.

Great, the perfect way to end this disaster of a day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! and I'm so sorry if their relationship felt rushed sjdbbcf

**Author's Note:**

> thank you lots for sticking with me until the end! i hope you'll look forward to the next chapter. unfortunately im unable to keep a daily schedule so updates will be kind of inconsistent, sorry! but i don't plan on abandoning it, either. call me out on my bullshit on twitter dot cum @heartfvlcry


End file.
